(Brockville)
- The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) honoured the memory of
a former superintendent Wednesday who championed the cause of Terry
Fox.

The board awarded this year's Ted Kennedy Legacy Awards to
Char-Lan District High School and South Crosby Public School for being
the top fundraising schools (per pupil) within the board during the 2014
Terry Fox National School Run Day. The presentations were made at the
Board of Trustees' regular meeting in Brockville.

Char-Lan, winner
of the secondary award, raised $9.67 per pupil during last year's run.
South Crosby Public School raised $20.41 per pupil to take the
elementary award, said Superintendent David Coombs. This is the third
straight year both schools have won.

The award was created in 2012
in honour of Kennedy, a veteran superintendent and principal with the
Upper Canada District School Board. Kennedy was the founder of the
board's Terry Fox Staff Challenge fundraising relay. Kennedy passed away
in 2011.

"Honouring these schools for supporting Terry Fox’s
dream of making cancer history is a fitting tribute to Ted's passion for
the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research," said Coombs.

Due
in large part to Kennedy's dedication to the cause, UCDSB schools have
raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Terry Fox Foundation
over the past decade. Last year alone, UCDSB staff and students raised
more than $83,000.

South Crosby Public School Principal Monique Antoine-Hartley accepted the award last night on behalf of her school.

“It
is a great honour for us to win for the third year in a row,” said
Antoine-Hartley. “It’s certainly a tribute to Ted Kennedy because he
believed so much in this cause and I’m glad we can show our support for
him and his beliefs. I also think this award sends the message to our
kids that cancer is an insidious disease and that hopefully, with their
help, we can stamp it out in their lifetime.”

While Char-Lan
District High School Principal Catherine Cooper could not attend the
awards presentation, she said in an interview the recognition was
another way to highlight for her students the value of teamwork.

“It really shows them what raising a few dollars on their own can amount to when everyone works together,” she said.